More Articles

Wrigley’s new Alert Energy Caffeine Gum has prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to
look into the potential impact that added caffeine might have on children and adolescents.

The FDA said on Monday that it is taking a “fresh look” at the issue in response to the launch
of a caffeinated gum, “and if necessary, will take appropriate action.”

While the FDA did not name the gum in its statement, Wrigley launched the product this month.
One piece of the gum contains 40 milligrams of caffeine, about as much as a half-cup of coffee,
according to Wrigley, which is owned by privately held Mars Inc.

The company said it markets the gum as an energy product for adults age 25 or older, and that it
exceeds current regulatory requirements on labeling and disclosure. The gum has a more-bitter taste
that does not appeal to children, a higher price, and packaging that clearly separates it from
other gums, a Wrigley spokeswoman said in an email.

“As the FDA refines its approach to caffeine, we welcome the opportunity to work with them on
this important topic,” she wrote.

The FDA seeks to protect consumers from unsafe foods. In addition to research and inspections,
the agency has the power to recall and seize unsafe products and stop companies from producing
them.

“The only time that FDA explicitly approved the added use of caffeine in a food was for cola,
and that was in the 1950s,” Michael Taylor, FDA deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary
medicine, said in a statement on the FDA’s website on Monday.

“Today, the environment has changed. Children and adolescents may be exposed to caffeine beyond
those foods in which caffeine is naturally found and beyond anything the FDA envisioned when it
made the determination regarding caffeine in cola,” he said.